A Roof Tile That Eliminates NOx Smog

This summer, KB Home unveiled a prototype home in Lancaster, California, outfitted with solar panels, energy storage, LED lighting, and an electric vehicle outlet, among other technologies. The prototype also included a roof tile called Auranox by MonierLifetile. The claim to fame with this roof tile is that it's a smog-eater — that it neutralizes nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the air.

Specifically, Auranox is treated with titanium dioxide which neutralizes nitrogen oxide pollutants in the air when the tile is exposed to light and rinsed by the rain.

According to MonierLifetile, a 2,000 square foot roof can eliminate the same amount of nitrogen oxide that a car will produce when it drives about 10,800 miles, says Katy Tomasulo of EcoHome Magazine.

Tomasulo also reports that Auranox carries a price premium, though we haven't been able to obtain pricing information from the company. The KB Home project is said to be the first in the U.S. to use such a product.

Similar products are available overseas and seem to be used with frequency.

For example, earlier this year, we mentioned Lifewall from Ceracasa. This green facade product is meant to be used in conjunction with Bionictile, a ceramic tile that reacts with moisture and ultra-voilet rays to eat nitrogen oxides in the air.